PLACES
How to create a framework for cooperation between government, science and the local community? The answer to this question is to be brought by European project PLACES, in which EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre is involved.

The project PLACES, which began in 2010 and will last until 2014, engaged a series of Wrocław institutions (including the EIT +). Their tasks include, among others, to develop a Local Action Plan. This document will be the basis of ideas and good practices in creating cooperation on the line: local authority-science-citizens.

PLACES is a project under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. Ten regions of the Old Continent and 69 European cities, including Wrocław were engaged in its implementation. This project aims to create and implement the concept of European City of Scientific Culture.

In order to effectively coordinate the various activities associated with this project at the local level, in the capital of Lower Silesia the Wrocław Municipal Partnership (WPM) was established. It coordinates the involvement of individual PLACES’s partners initiatives, which are:

– EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre;
– Department of Education, the Social Affairs Department of the Municipal Office in Wrocław
– Lower Silesian Science Festival, as the association of many universities and institutions;
– Institution of Culture “Wrocław 2016”;
– Wrocław University of Technology;
– Wrocław branch of Polish Television;
– University of Wrocław;

Measures to promote scientific synergies with business and the local community is also being realized by cooperating with EIT+ Foundation for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology NANONET, in 2011 awarded by Science Service in Poland PAP with a prize “populariser of science”.

The most important task facing the institutions involved in the PLACES project is to develop a Local Action Plan (LAP). This document will constitute a set of guidelines that will help to improve the communication of local world of science with the business community, as well as the local community. LAP is also to open new, innovative channels of scientific communication.

The project organizers want the ideas of institutions implementing PLACES to meet the residents’ expectations, which is why each Local Action Plan will be evaluated by citizens. It should be noted that each of the cities involved in the project PLACES will be able to use the ideas developed by other beneficiaries of the project.

Places project will be completed in 2014. Then the summarizing pan-European conference will take place. During the meeting, representatives of cities and regions involved in this initiative will present their know-how and ideas on how to create and promote science at the local level, as well as how to promote synergy between local government, academia and citizens.

Project start: January 2012
Duration of the project: 3 years.
The exact value of the project: EUR 266 900.

TEPSIE project is a project in which directions of tools development, methods and policies that will become a part of the European Union Strategy for the development of innovation-oriented society will be developed.

The social innovations are for the project participants new ideas (products, services and models) to meet social needs and create new social relations and cooperation between different interest groups in society.

Development of social innovation reinforces social attitudes among scientists, politicians and business practitioners so that they can operate on different fields having greater confidence in one other.

Detailed research tasks, in which the EIT+ is engaged include:

WP1 Overview of the system of social innovation.

WP2 Measuring social innovation.

WP3 Removing barriers to social innovation.

WP4 Generating capital flows (Examination of development of systems of social innovation financing)

WP5 Engaging the public n the process of creating social innovation.

WP6 Knowing what works (Identification of social innovation evaluation tools).

WP7 Growing what works (Providing theoretical and empirical knowledge of the social innovation).

EU FP7 project funded by the European Commission under the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7-ICT- 2011-7).

Duration: Spetember 2011—August 2014

The development of photonic technologies in the past 20 years has become crucial for modern industrial economy. Strengthening the international cooperation between photonics clusters is essential for improving their effectiveness in promoting research and innovation, strengthening the European economy and meeting the challenges of modern society.

The aim of the cooperation of ASPICE project consortium is:
– examine the activities of photonic innovation centres, platforms, clusters and on this basis to develop a manual of good practices, that is proven, efficient and effective services in the field of photonics;
– development of the profiled logistics chain in two social areas: health and safety of European citizens, in which the photonic industry will be a key technology provider;
– inclusion of representatives of clusters and platforms and other stakeholders to take advantage of project results and lessons taken thereof and adaptation of their development programs to the challenges that the photonics industry in Europe is facing.

Detailed research tasks, in which the EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre is engaged include:
WP 1. Best practices in innovation activities of photonic clusters and platforms;
WP 2. The use of photonic technologies value chain for health care in an aging society;
WP 3. Use of the photonic technologies value chain for the security of European citizens
WP 4. Advanced tools and processes to strengthen cooperation of photonics clusters;
HR 5. Service enabling networking and establishing of contacts based on the value chain.

The main objective of the ACROPOLIS project is develop appropriate mechanisms and tools to establish cooperation between European experts working in various research projects on future-oriented telecommunications technologies such as cognitive radio and on sharing of the electromagnetic spectrum. Due to the widely understood co-operation consistency and high efficiency of research carried out in institutes spread across Europe is to be achieved.

The ACROPOLIS project is also to allow the identification of areas and issues that are currently the least developed and thus require the strongest commitment of the scientists and interest of the representatives of industry. Technologies developed in the project are primarily to ensure optimization of the use of radio resources.

The team of the ICT Department of EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre is a leader of the 2. and 16. Task Package. Besides, the team members also support research in the second (Context Awareness and Science) and third (Decision Making and Action) Project research cluster.

The biggest commitment of ICT RC is manifested in the following task packages:

– RWTH Aachen University
– Institute of Accelerating Systems and Applications
– University of Rome “La Sapienza”
– Dresden University of Technology
– University of Piraeus Research Center
– Wrocławskie Centrum Badań EIT+
– The Centre for Telecommunications Research (CTR), King’s College London
– Royal Institute of Technology
– University Ss. Cyril and Methodius
– Centre Tecnologic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya
– The Joint Research Centre
– Poznan University of Technology
– University of Surrey
– The EADS Innovation Works
– The University of Leeds
– EURECOM

Nowadays biomedical research on diseases of civilization with the use of human biological material require international cooperation and the collection of samples often from across the continent. The project BBMRI LPC (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure Large Prospective Cohorts) is to integrate the activities of individual biobanks from Europe.

The main goal is to:
– Harmonize the way the collection of personal and medical data from people participating in projects in the field of biobanking,
– define/harmonize the definitions of various types of diseases,
– develop the techniques used in biobanking of human biological material samples to ensure the sampling is of high quality,
– create and provide access to the data of entire genome sequences, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome generated under the project,
– build new networks of public-private cooperation involving large biobanks, diagnostics and pharmaceutical companies,
– network knowledge transfer between recognized institutions biobanking human biological material and the newly constructed institutions especially in Eastern Europe, where the idea of biobanking becomes now more and more popular.

EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre is one of the performers of seventh package (WP7) in the BBMRI LPC project. In the course of its implementation it is planned to establish contacts with biobanking institutions from Eastern Europe, keeping a register of biobanking establishments in this area and conducting biobanking training for newly established repositories of biological material. The realization of these tasks has a very positive influence on the position of the Biobank EIT + in a European network of biobanks BBMRI, network ESFRI and warrants cooperation at international level.

The project “Network Sunrise – Lower Silesian Network of Science and Business” is implemented under Measure 8.2 of the Human Capital Operational Programme. The originators of the whole project is a group of Wrocław undergraduate and graduate students.

The main objective of the project is to build a web portal for representatives of science and business. What will be created is a platform for establishing relationships, building contacts, knowledge transfer and exchange of experience between scientists and entrepreneurs. The website built under the project should provide the tools and instruments to support the process of technology transfer and commercialization at various levels and stages of development.

EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre performs two tasks: “Construction of Site” and “Animation”. And it is responsible for the planning, design and development of the functionality and tools that will enable the integration of the scientific and business environments.

The project is planned to reach a total of one thousand people – 500 academics and 500 representatives of the business community. All of them – thanks to their activity – should cause the portal to fulfil its role, being, among others, a great tool that aids in the transfer of knowledge and experience. The project lasts until October 2012.

The cluster is to implemented the public task of “Promotion of the Lower Silesian Cluster of Photonic Technology in the International Arena.” The task is financed from the budget of Lower Silesia, the duration of the project: 1 June – 15 December 2011.

It is assumed that the effect of the project and the cluster will be a significant increase in new business and scientific ventures accelerating economic development and the diffusion of innovation and the development of R&D infrastructure operating for the benefit of companies.

Within the framework of the project, workshops, participation in conferences and fairs are organized. What is also being developed are studies concerning photonics in Lower Silesia. As part of the project financing a common promotional and information material in English is being established. It will be a book containing information on photonic companies from the Lower Silesia and leading directions of development of photonics in our region.

The mission of the Lower Silesian Cluster of Photonic Technology (DKTF) is shaping the Lower Silesia as a region of innovative development of photonics recognizable in the country and abroad. The initiative to create KTF was based on already established in the framework of EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre projects such as NANOKLASTER and the Academy Forum for Business A2B.

The signatories of the DKTF consortium agreement are: businesses, educational institutions, research entities, local authorities, the media and non-governmental organizations established in Lower Silesia. The consortium is the result of works for the benefit of the multifaceted integration of scientific and industrial disciplines in the field of photonics of Lower Silesia.

The functioning of the cluster is also possible owing to a favourable attitude of the surrounding environment, especially the authorities of Lower Silesia and the City of Wrocław.

EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre realizes two projects funded by the Foundation for Polish Science under the Homing Plus Program.

FNP Metan

Development of a new technique for ultrasensitive detection of gases and its use to monitor the level of methane in the atmosphere.

In July, 2013 EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre started the project “Development of a new technique for ultrasensitive detection of gases and its use to monitor the level of methane in the atmosphere”, funded by the Foundation for Polish Science under the Homing Plus Program. Its main objective is to develop methods of laser gas detection.

The project will be implemented in the newly opened EIT + laboratory situated on Pracze Odrzańskie in Wrocław. Ongoing research will focus on creating a prototype system for remote detection of methane in the atmosphere based on the new measurement technique called CLaDS (Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy). The interest in methane results, among others, from the key role that it plays in shaping the Earth’s climate.

Leak detection of methane (both during extraction and transmission) is also of economic importance. This makes the results of the project interesting to both scientists (e.g. climatologists) and companies involved in extractive industries (particularly mining and gas transmission). Furthermore, a measuring technique may be readily adapted to detection of other compounds present in the atmosphere, e.g. steam or carbon oxides and nitrogen.

The project manager is dr inż. Michal Nikodem (michal.nikodem@eitplus.pl), and in the research work will also participate grant holders in the course of writing their master’s theses.
Term of completion: 30 June 2015

The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.

FNP Solar

The aim of the project is to develop a polymer solar cell, with eliminated indium tin oxide electrode (ITO). Replacing the ITO layer will reduce the manufacturing costs of modern solar cells. Eliminating the ITO electrode should also allow for the production of thin film solar cells on flexible substrates. As part of the research work a procedure for the production of solar cells on a laboratory scale (cells of less than 1 cm2) will be developed. Volume connector structure based on P3HT: PCBM will be applied as the photoactive layer. As an alternative to the ITO transparent electrode layer the modified PEDOT polymer layer and the other doped inorganic oxides (eg. ZnO: Al) will be tested.

Patent Plus is a program of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, aiming to modernize the process of technology transfer from research units to the economy through the support in obtaining patent protection of inventions arising in research units.

EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre Sp. z o.o received a grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the Patent Plus program to conduct formal proceedings, commercialization and educational activities related to the protection of important invention in the field of nanotechnology: A process for producing foamed amorphous non-combustible insulating materials. Patent Plus project is being carried out by employees of the EIT + Department of Nanotechnology.

The invention was developed in cooperation of EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre and the PAN Institute of Low Temperatures and Structural Research (joint ownership of application). A key feature of the new type of insulation is its non-flammability, resistance to environmental conditions, the possibility of easy application to the place of final use, using for its production mainly recycled materials and waste, perfect bond with various surfaces and ability to easily modify its properties using admixtures for: shielding (e.g., electromagnetic shielding of radio or hard range), bactericidal and fungicidal properties, and others. Actions relate to the invention of an apparatus and method for preparing the nanocomposite foam insulation non-combustible and amorphous insulating materials based on colloidal silica with a foaming agent and a device for carrying out the process. Method is largely based on one of the basic techniques of nanotechnology: sol-gel method. The foaming process takes place using an electric field, which makes them more economical and efficient as compared to currently used methods because it requires no bulky moulds and furnaces for heating and can produce foam in a continuous manner.

New method relies on the possibility of producing an insulating material with a high volume from raw materials of small volume by a mobile device, exactly at the point of end-use of insulators or (after scaling) at the manufacturing site if at the same time it is desired to give the desired shape to the obtained insulating elements.

The material due to its durability may soon revolutionize the market of used insulation. The same method and apparatus for the production of this material already are currently the subject of an action to obtain patent protection and are being presented on the market.

The Patent Plus project also includes implementation of measures to promote knowledge about the protection and management of intellectual property.
A process for producing foamed amorphous non-combustible insulating materials.

The invention has been submitted to the Polish Patent Office on May 12, 2011. In May 201 the solution entered an international phase, so-called, PCT phase (Patent Cooperation Treaty), which allowed to apply for exclusive rights in individual countries. As a result of the search for potential buyers of the invention it has been put for the auction, which will enable the acquisition of rights to use the invention (license).

Description and competitive advantages:
The invention is a key part of the package of solutions for a new type of insulation for the construction industry and created in collaboration EIT+ Wrocław Research Centre and the Institute of Low Temperatures and Structural Research (joint ownership of application).

A key feature of the new type of insulation is its non-flammability, resistance to environmental conditions, the possibility of easy application to the place of final use, using for its production mainly recycled materials and waste, perfect bond with various surfaces and ability to easily modify its properties using admixtures for: shielding (e.g., electromagnetic shielding of radio or hard range), bactericidal and fungicidal properties, and others. The use and commercialization of patents and solutions related to this technology EIT + has exclusive licenses.

The subject of present invention, and at the same time a key element of the solution package, is the apparatus and method of the final moulding of the insulating material. The subject of invention is a method for preparing the nanocomposite foam insulation non-combustible and amorphous insulating materials based on colloidal silica with a foaming agent and a device for carrying out the process. Method is largely based on one of the basic techniques of nanotechnology: sol-gel method. The foaming process takes place using an electric field, which makes them more economical and efficient as compared to currently used methods because it requires no bulky moulds and furnaces for heating and can produce foam in a continuous manner.

There are known methods for producing foamed materials based on oxides of silicon and industrial waste and mineral dust: using high temperatures [material in the shape-dependent form], methods of foaming materials based on silicon oxide by using microwave irradiation (material in the form of blocks) method, foaming polystyrene in the high frequency (material in the form of plates) method and others.

New method relies on the possibility of producing an insulating material with a high volume from raw materials of small volume by a mobile device, exactly at the point of end-use of insulators or (after scaling) at the manufacturing site if at the same time it is desired to give the desired shape to emerging insulating elements.

The material due to its durability may soon revolutionize the market of used insulation. The same method and apparatus for the production of this material already are currently the subject of an action to obtain patent protection and are being presented on the market. At the moment, the partner is sought to commercialize the invention.

The potential for commercialization:
Due to a very good quality of building products manufactured in Poland and increasing importance of the Polish construction chemicals manufacturers in the global market, the invention will be presented exclusively in the country to potential business partners of the already well-established brand. At the moment the demonstrator was presented (without disclosure and after signing a confidentiality and non-competitive activities agreement) and talks with the company Selena were started. Potentially interested in the invention may also be such companies as: Styropol, Izolbet, Woolpol, Solbet and others belonging to the industry, which may be partners to discussions intended to determine which one offers the most competitive offer.

Currently, in Poland after a short period of stagnation, once again we observe the dynamic development of housing industry, and thus a sharp increase in demand for construction chemicals.

Globally, consumption of nanocomposite materials had a value of nearly $ 460 million in 2009 and it is estimated that it will reach about $ 1.3 billion in 2014.